New network being launched this Friday to improve access to mental health services in response to statewide demand

Blaine, Minnesota (September 22 2021) – Personal experience is behind a Twin Cities entrepreneur’s announcement Friday, September 24th of a streamlined way for mental health services to be accessed by anyone in crisis or those close to people who are struggling.

Nearly half of all Americans will experience mental health issues in their lifetime, and roughly 25 percent will have a diagnosable condition in any given year. Behind those numbers are real people and their families, and Charlie Kratsch can speak to this first-hand. Ten years ago, he and his wife, Brenda, saw no signs before their 17-year-old son had a psychotic episode and needed immediate mental health treatment.

While their son eventually received the help he needed, Kratsch and his family realized how challenging it can be for someone in crisis and their family to even know where to start when it comes to accessing mental health services.

“It’s difficult, if not impossible, to navigate the complexities of the current mental health system,” said Kratsch, who is launching the network through his Blaine software company’s charitable arm, the Infinite Campus Foundation. “The problem isn’t so much a lack of resources; it’s finding the right mix of resources and coordinating them.”

Kratsch says that by arranging mental health organizations into regional networks coordinated through central “hubs,” those in need of services can be more easily matched to the organizations providing them. More importantly, this single-entry point into the network simplifies the process for everyone including health care providers, educators and law enforcement.

Leading figures in government and health care in Minnesota are answering the call and are joining Kratsch on Sept. 24 to announce the creation of the Mental Health and Addiction Network during a news conference at Infinite Campus, an educational software firm Kratsch founded 28 years ago in Blaine.

Fri News Conference at-a-Glance

What: Mental Health and Addiction Network launch news conference

Who: Charlie Kratsch, founder of Infinite Campus Foundation; Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz

When: Media availability - Friday, Sept. 24 at 2:00pm – or 30 minutes before start of ICF annual meeting

Where: Infinite Campus Event Center, 4321 109TH Ave. NE., Blaine, MN 55449

About the Infinite Campus Foundation

The charitable arm of Infinite Campus was founded in 2009, and its primary focus is to identify and support programs and services in the Twin Cities’ north metro communities that serve teens with mental health issues. The foundation has contributed millions of dollars through financial and material donations. For more information, please visit https://www.infinitecampus.com/company/the-infinite-campus-foundation.